I'm 29 and a full-time mummy to George, now 16 months old.
Since October 2008 I've been running PreciousParcels.co.uk - an online shop selling handmade gifts and decorative treats. I absolutely love my little business and I'm really excited about watching it grow. I'm delighted about the amount of great feedback I've had, regarding both my products and the website itself.
So here's how it all began...
After what had been a really enjoyable pregnancy, things just seemed to go wrong in the last month. I seemed to get everything I possibly could, from carpal tunnel syndrome and an awful pregnancy rash to eventually being diagnosed with pre-eclampsyia and being admitted to hospital. Anyway, after being in hospital for a week our little man finally arrived! Amazing.
Sadly George had severe colic for the first 16 weeks. He screamed for almost 24 hours a day and it was a very difficult time for all of us but we were just grateful it was nothing more severe and we knew it was only a matter of time before it would ease. The first few months were exhausting and the thought of taking up a new hobby or doing some sort of work was unbearable. Anyway!... at the risk of telling a rather depressing story I'll quickly move on...
Once the colic began to ease everything changed and we started to enjoy being a family. Sure, we still had sleepless nights but we expected that. It was just the biggest comfort knowing George was no longer in pain. Since then he’s been a joy. I’m enjoying being a mummy so much and not a day passes when he doesn’t make me cry with laughter.
In October 2008 I wanted to take up a new hobby and thought for a while about what to do. I was a full time mummy so I soon realised I couldn't do too much during the day or anything that would take me away from home. I decided to make a few decorative plaques for our house. I've always enjoyed making things and as I was at home it seemed like an ideal time to get creative. Plus, I wanted to brighten up George’s nursery. I sourced the materials and got to work! At this stage I wasn't bothered about the price of the wood or the ribbons. I thought I'd only be making a couple of bits.
Carl, George's daddy and my family really loved my items and suggested I put them on Ebay to see if they would sell. Not what I had planned but still, a few extra pennies would have been welcome so why not?..
I remember checking my emails over the next few days, doubtful that anyone would even look at them, never mind buy them. Then about 3 days later I had an email "Item sold…" I was dancing around the kitchen!! "Someone has bought a plaque, that I made!" I grabbed the phone to ring Carl. I was perhaps a little too excited for someone who had just sold a £4.95 plaque! but I was just so pleased that someone must have liked what I'd made.
Much to my surprise and delight I sold over 300 items in the first 5 weeks!!
Carl would get home from work each night, and rather than ask if I'd had an order, he'd ask how many orders! It was brilliant!
So there I was, no business plan, no systems in place and an unexpected but exciting demand for my work. I wasn't sourcing the cheapest materials and I didn't feel like I had a business identity. So the time came to sit and plan exactly what I was going to do.
Could I really run a business and be a good mummy? Would the demand for my work be there after Christmas? And would I make a reasonable profit? I actually realised that I'd been doing a pretty good job of fulfilling orders and looking after George since the very first sale, so yes! I could do it!! As for the demand being there after Christmas, I sat down and went through exactly what people has been ordering. There were a huge number of orders for new baby plaques and keepsakes so unless the world suddenly stopped reproducing, people would still be buying new baby gifts.
I did a plan of how much everything would cost and ways I could save money. I knew the biggest expense would be a website so I immediately decided I'd design it all myself. I'd been taught the basics some years back and although I was a little rusty I knew it was possible if I put my mind to it. I looked around for a free shopping cart that would be easy to implement and had good reviews. I came across Mals-e.com, the shopping cart approved by Paypal, so I knew it would do the trick! So what was my biggest challenge and for many businesses costs thousands of pounds I managed to do all myself, with a little creativeness and a great deal of patience.
There is so much information and support out there for anyone who is unsure how to go ahead with their venture. There are a number of business forums and free “mumpreneurs” resources, which have answers to just about anything you would need to know, from registering as self-employed to implementing shipping costs on your website.
I also knew I could buy ready-cut wooden plaques off the Internet or from most craft supply stores. But why pay someone else to cut it if I can do it myself and save a fortune. I started buying large sheets of MDF and got my dad to help me cut them all to size. Sounds like a real pain but we were cutting 200 off at a time so it was worth it.
I even wanted to save money on ribbon so I found a local supplier who agreed to sell to me at wholesale prices and with it being so close to home I'd save on postage too.
So there it was, PreciousParcels.co.uk, an online gift shop selling all my handmade gifts and home decorations.
So now for a huge expensive advertising campaign to get me noticed... Not!! Once I'd realised the amount of interest my items were getting on Ebay I started printing and sending compliment slips with every order which had a little bit of info about my "exciting new website soon to be launched" Sure enough these customers started returning and the feedback has been fantastic. "Word of mouth" is no doubt one of the best forms of advertising. I have had so many customers who are friends or family of my very first visitors.
I've set up a Facebook page which allows me to send updates to fans. Friends of fans often take a look and so on. I also got in touch with my local Newspaper and they published an article for me, which seemed to generate some business. They titled the article "Mum's New Business Booms" which still makes me smile.
I would advise anyone to look at all the free advertising opportunities out there before spending a penny on advertising. What have you got to lose? See how much interest you generate by not spending a penny, and take it from there. You might be pleasantly surprised.
My aim now is to encourage more mums to pursue their ideas. I thought it would be impossible to run a business and look after a little one but the combination is fantastic. I don't think I'll ever lose the excitement I get from every new order and George is always by my side to have a little celebration with.
It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but its certainly right for me. I get to be creative, use my brain and most important of all, spend time with George. Good luck everyone! x
Natalie from PreciousParcels.co.uk
2009 |
Me And My Thrupenny Bits
